Garment.



W. L. SIEWERS.

GARMENT. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1911.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

witnesses COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH CO" WASHINGTON. D. C-

STATES 'FATENT @FFTQE.

WALTER L. SIEWERS, 0F WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIG1\TOR TO THE MALINE MILLS COMPANY, OF WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPO- RATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

GARMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fiIed December 26, 1911. Serial No. 667,819.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, \VALTER L. Smwnns a citizen of the United States residing at lVinston-Salem, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to garments and has for an object to provide a body garment with improved means for fastening without the use of buttons, hooks or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment open at the top with flaps extending from the arm openings to the center of the breast with means for securing such flaps at more than one point so that one fastening forms substantially a straightline across from the arm pits while the other fastening serves to support the front of the garment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment having flaps extending from the arm openings toward the center with means for permitting adjustment of the flaps to compensate for the size of chest measure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a body garment composed of a fabric capable of transverse stretching with flaps extending from the arm openings toward the center such flaps being bound with material which is non-elastic or less elastic than the material from which the garment is constructed whereby the width of the garment between the shoulders may be adjusted to such size as is desired by manipulating the flaps.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and .arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a view of a body garment showing one of the flaps open and turned back. Fig. 2 is a view of a. body garment having the flapsextending entirely together and tied. Fig. 3 isa fragspread apart for enlarging the bust measure of the garment. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary'view showing the bottom corners of the fiaps spread apart providing enlargement of the bust measure at a point substantially between the armpits. e

' Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. I I V I The improvement which forms the subject matter of this application is adapted to be applied to body garments of any usual and ordinary kind and here illustrated as applied to garments consisting of tubular knitted fabric. The garments are provided with sleeves 11 set in armholes oropenings in substantially the usual manner. At the front the tubular material of the garment is cut on an upwardly curved line as'indicated at 12, extending from a little above the bottom of the arm openings as indicated at 13 up to substantially the line of the neck opening as indicated more particularly at Fig. l. The front is completed by flaps 14c and 15 the lower edges of which are secured somewhat below the lowest point of the curved line 12 and extends ordinarily substantially straight across from arm pit to arm pit, as indicated at Fig. 1.

The front of the body is provided with tapes or other cords or strings 16 and 17 while the flaps are provided with holes 18 and 19 similar to button holes through which the tapes 16 and 17 are inserted and tied, as indicated at Figs. 2, 3 and 4:.

The lower edges of the flaps 14 and 15 are provided with a binding 20 which is preferably non-elastic or only slightly elastic while the front edges of the flaps are provided with a similar binding 21.

By employing the flaps as indicated several desirable functions are accomplished. As a first function, the upwardly curved portion of the body is held upwardly in position by the upper tape 16 while the lower tape 17 with the binding 20 serves to determine the desired measure from arm pit to arm pit which may be regulated as suggested at Figs. 3 and 4:, the tapes 16 and 17 being capable of tying when the edges of the flaps are spaced apart to a considerable distance. Also as illustrated at Fig. 1 the use of the flaps and the upwardly curved portion form a double thickness over the chest Patented 0ot.28,1913.

of the wearer, the position of such double members being insured by the use of the two tapes and the use of the lower edges of the flaps as straight from arm pit to arm pit prevents any gapping or stretching of the parts out of position to form a crack between the body portion and the flaps. It is found desirable at times to prevent too great elasticity of the upwardly curved portion 12 and for such purpose a strip 22 is secured upon each side of the center of such length as is desired which will prevent the stretching of a portion of the curved line.

I claim 1. In a garment, a body having its upper portion cut upon an upwardly extending curve from the arm pits to the neck line, flaps secured at the sleeves and extending in a continuous substantially straight line from arm pit to arm pit, and ties for securing the flaps at such straight line and also at the neck line.

2. In a body garment, an upper portion out upon a curved line extending from the arm pits substantially to the neck line, flaps secured at the sleeves and extending with their bottom line substantially straight between the arm pits, a tie secured to the up per end of the upwardly extending body portion and adapted to engage the flaps at the neck line, and a second tie adapted to secure the flaps together adjustably at the straight line connecting the armpits.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER L. SIEWERS.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH E. ALEXANDER, ELISABETH RoUGn'roN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents, Washington, D. O. 

